Crystal Tarot LS

Crystal Tarot - stained-glass techniques in art nouveau style

Some tarot cards you glance at and put away. Not these. The Crystal Tarot by Elisabetta Trevisan has imagery that asks for time, because each card holds multiple layers.

The deck was originally released as 'Tarocchi di Vetro', a set of 22 cards in the style of stained glass. Later, Trevisan expanded it into a full 78-card tarot. The technique remained the same: tempera and pastel, with flowing art nouveau lines and transparent colour fields reminiscent of leaded glass.

What you see on the cards

The images combine symbols from the Rider-Waite and Thoth tarots, but the style is entirely its own. Soft colours dominate: lots of blue, purple, green and pink. The lines move organically, almost winding, the way you see in art nouveau designs.

What stands out most is the way light works in the cards. Every figure, every object seems illuminated from within. This comes from the layered colour applications and the way Trevisan lets edges and planes bleed into each other.

The cards have titles and numbers, but no further text. The multilingual guidebook contains basic explanations in five languages.

How this deck works in practice

The Crystal Tarot is not a fast deck. The images are too rich to absorb in a single glance. Many people use it for meditative readings, taking a few minutes per card to let the symbolism settle.

The deck follows the standard tarot structure, so if you are familiar with Rider-Waite or another classical system, you can work with this right away. The divergent imagery adds an extra layer of interpretation, but does not change the basic structure.

When you pull a new card, look first at the part that seems to catch the most light. That is often where the message begins.

About Elisabetta Trevisan

Elisabetta Trevisan is an Italian artist who works with tempera and pastel. Her technique is classical, but her imagery feels contemporary. For the Crystal Tarot, she combined her interest in stained glass with the symbolism of tarot.

The project began as an artistic exploration of 22 cards and grew into a full set that is valued internationally by collectors.

Specifications

• Number of cards: 78 (Major and Minor Arcana)
• Size: 66 x 120 mm
• Finish: matte laminate, silky texture
• Cardstock: sturdy Lo Scarabeo quality cardstock
• Guidebook language: multilingual (English, Italian, Spanish, French, German)
• Publisher: Lo Scarabeo
• ISBN: 9780738700588
• Artist: Elisabetta Trevisan

Questions we often get

How do the cards feel when shuffling?
The cards have a matte laminate with a silky texture. They are flexible enough to shuffle comfortably, but sturdy enough to last.

What is the difference with the original Tarocchi di Vetro?
The Tarocchi di Vetro consisted of 22 cards, only the Major Arcana. The Crystal Tarot is the full expansion with 78 cards, including all Minor Arcana.